SUU campus briefs

MEN'S BASKETBALL: Southern Utah opens a three-game homestand this week when the Thunderbirds host a pair of Summit League opponents.

IUPUI visits the Centrum on Thursday night, followed by Western Illinois on Saturday. Both games tip off at 7:30 p.m. following the same schools' women's basketball games at 5:30 p.m.

The Thunderbirds (5-13, 1-6 Summit League) will be looking to snap a three-game skid Thursday night, but for the second straight game the task will be difficult. After a loss at league-leading Oakland on Saturday night the Thunderbirds host the Summit League's No. 2 team, the Jaguars, on Thursday.

SUU dropped both ends of a road swing last week, beginning with a heartbreaking 61-56 loss last Thursday night at IPFW in which it led the entire game until losing the edge at the 1:28 mark and faltering in the final minute. SUU followed that with the 99-53 setback at Oakland University. Heading into the IPFW game the T-Birds had won two of their previous five, including an 85-79 triumph against North Dakota State on Jan. 7, for their first league win of the season.

IUPUI (13-7, 6-1 Summit League) has won three straight, all in league play, and its only conference loss was an 85-82 setback at Oakland on Jan. 2. The Jaguars swept Oral Roberts (90-87 in overtime) and Centenary (74-58) at home last week. This will be just the third conference road game for the Jaguars, who split at Oakland and IPFW in early January, claiming a 79-69 win at IPFW before the loss at Oakland. The Jags also have home wins over South Dakota St. (79-57), North Dakota State (86-74) and Western Illinois (67-54) in conference play.